"Cowardice asks the question...is it safe? Expediency asks the question...is it politic? Vanity asks the question...is it popular? But conscience asks the question...is it right? And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular but one must take it because it is right." ~Dr. Martin Luther King

Sunday 11 December 2011

Further to "Transit Strike"

An e-mail provided the information about  foreign private enterprise being contracted by the region to operate transit service and the information about millions of dollars of profits being sent out of the country.

I  responded  and asked  for permission to publish  the e-mail  in my blog.

I received no response.

There could be two reasons;

1. The information might not be strictly accurate.

2. The information could be accurate but a union rep referring to it might be considered bargaining in bad faith.

Either way, if true, we still have a right to know and consider the implications.

I think it's more than likely true. Why else would the  Region NOT be a party to contract talks?

Why would the Regional Chair state intentions not to intervene in contract negotiations? How would it be intervention if the Region is a party to the contract?

I know of two transit systems involved. Maybe three. York Region Transit functions within the Region. Viva carries commuters beyond Region. Handicapped transit could also be a third operation.

York Region Transit was originally local. Viva was founded I think by an organisation appointed by the Province and funded by three separate levels of government.Management is at the Region. We have received presentations from the Region on both systems.

It makes sense, since there are three separate systems there would be three contracts.

Another question outstanding would be who waas responsible for contracting out the service to three separate companies, Foreign or otherwise?

Was Regional Council involved in that decision? Or did the Region delegate their authority to an organisation appointed by the Province? Or is Viva really not regional but provincial ?

Are regional councillors  quiet in the issue because, like the union, they too have been neutered by contracting out the service?

Is what appears to be public service, not public service at all? But private service with no profits generated from fares but straight from the public purse instead?

Is no-one accountable for service provided or withheld or costs therof.

What kind of a thrice bastardised hybrid is that???

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

The Region is morally and financially bankrupt,
hosting parties of complacent politicians including
our very own Mayor Dawe. You know, that guy who
ran on a platform to reduce spending. He even used to
read Blogs.
This is not going to be pretty to watch, There are too
many mouths in the Region's troughs.

Anonymous said...

The Regional Chair, a non-elected position, is too long there, and, methinks, is starting to give off a bad odour, as is the wont of fish.

Can he not be canned? No pun intended, or possibly intended.

What difference does it make. He is not a leader, just a bureaucrat with a humungous salary and benefits.

His pension, when he starts to draw it, will be big enough to choke a Clydesdale.